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I remembered an Everstone as gray with pink and blue speckles when digging it out in the Underground. And I accidentally called it all pink elsewhere.

If you recall the Starly entry, I mentioned that I got the idea from starlings in my yard. This time, it's the barn swallows who nest on the front porch of my house every summer. They're always there. And they're always loud.

TAILLOW
Ruby entry: Taillow courageously stands its ground against foes, however strong they may be. This gutsy Pokemon will remain defiant even after a loss. On the other hand, it cries loudly if it becomes hungry.

SWELLOW
Sapphire entry: Swellow is very conscientious about the upkeep of its glossy wings. Once two Swellow are gathered, they diligently take care of cleaning each other's wings.

Two birds slowed their flight through the afternoon air. The larger one looked stunning, bright glossy blue feathers playing against shimmering red feathers. Her movements were full of grace, while her natural style defied any rules imposed by mankind. The smaller one looked like she could grow up to be like the other, but was still unpolished. Her feathers were ruffled and duller in intensity and glow.

Perching in a large airy tree, the Swellow and Taillow looked around. After a moment, the Swellow raised a wing up. “<Yoohoo! Did you just move in?>”

Another Swellow waved back. “<My, hello!>” She hopped along branches to land beside them. “<Yes, I was just calling out to see if there were any kind neighbors. I’m called Gale.>”

“<I’m called Breeze, and this would be my daughter, Featha. It’s so nice to meet you, Gale. How’s the tree looking?>”

“<Just lovely; it has a nice view over the plains, but should be great cover for when we’re not hunting. Do any others live in this tree, if you know?>”

“<Well I’ve seen several kinds of Pokemon gather under this tree, and sometimes I take shelter in storms if I can’t get back to my own. I don’t think there’s anybody here this year.>”

Featha the Taillow shook her head. Her mother always talked too much, as did any other Swellow she met. When she evolved, Featha was determined to not get gossipy. “<Mom, I’m bored.>”

“<Now be polite, dear,>” Breeze chided.

“<Oh, I understand how it is with Taillows,>” Gale said. “<Can’t sit still a moment to chat and listen. Deary, I’ve got a son around here you can play with if you like. He’s only a few days old, so be gentle.>”

“<She’s not that old either.>”

“<I guessed so much.>” She held her right wing out. “<Oh, but we’ve had such a long trip. Have I dulled much?>”

“<You could use some tidying up. Would you like my help?>”

“<That would be so kind, thank you.>”

Featha made an exaggerated sigh, then flew off the branch to find the boy. “<Geez, Swellows. It’s all just talk, talk, talk, and got to be perfectly clean too. Sooo boring.>”

Breeze chuckled. “<Oh, fledglings. They’re so reckless.>”

“<They’ll get the picture when they evolve; it always happens that way. And my, how do you keep yourself so sleek looking? Nobody in my family could compare to your gloss.>”

She smiled smugly. “<Oh, I’ve got a secret or two about that.>” The two of them giggled.

“<Good grief,>” a boy Taillow muttered from the grasses. “<Did Mom find someone to gossip with that fast? Ugh?>”

Technically, he was right. Featha had assistance in having a Machop kick the Skarmory in the chest. But still, he wouldn’t have done it if she hadn’t been there. “<Did too!>”

“<Did not!>”

She took a deep breath, then released a sharp chirping Growl. “<I did too!>”

Acorn narrowed his eyes and countered with a Growl of his own. “<You did not!>”

Featha Growled again. “<How can you tell? I did!>”

And he Growled right back. “<You’re a liar!>”

To prove her power, she rapidly beat her wings and took off into the air, to Growl again. “<Well you’re an rotten-acorn-obsessed idiot!>”

He dashed into the air after her. “<Insult me if you wish, but do not insult the acorns!>”

“<You eat rotten acorns!>”

“<Stop it!>” Acorn rushed at her and struck her side with his beak.

She laughed. “<Ha-hah, your dumb Peck attack did nothing!>”

“<I’ll get you!>” Beating his wings furiously, he rushed at her again.

Fluttering out of the way, Featha Pecked him on the head. “<That’s how you do that attack!>”

“<Funny, I didn’t feel a thing,>” he retorted. “<You must be weak.>”

“<What?! Take that back!>”

“<Only if you agree that acorns are the best food ever.>”

“<No way, Jose, that’s Leppas!>”

From inside the cover of the silver maple, Gale looked out at the two Taillows bickering. “<Oh dear. They’ve managed to Growl each other into doing no damage.>”

Breezy looked up from where she had been using her beak to straighten out her new friend’s flight feathers. “<They’ll be at this for hours, I’m sure.>”

“<As silly as it may sound, sometimes I miss those days.>”

Featha and Acorn chased each other around the tree dozens of times, Growling and attempting to Peck while in flight. A couple of hours later, they both landed back on the ground, panting heavily. Both of their wings felt heavy and exhausted. After catching her breath, Featha turned to Acorn. “<Well I didn’t lose.>”

He tensed. “<Well I didn’t lose either.>”

“<Wanna fight again tomorrow?>”

“<Sure, I’ll beat you up them.>”

“<No you won’t.>”

Acorn shook his head. “<Bah. Anyhow, I feel like some food right now.>”

At the mention of food, her stomach grumbled too. “<Yeah. Mom, I’m hungry!>”

As if determined to out-wail her as well, he cried out louder. “<I’m hungry too, Mom!>”

“<Well I’m hungrier!>”

“<No you’re not!>”

“<Go out and find something to eat, then,>” Gale called down. “<You should learn the area you live in now.>”

“<Yes,>” Breezy agreed. “<Go show him where that nice oak tree is, dear.>”

“<Okay,>” Featha called back. “<It’s a good tree with lots of acorns.>”

Acorn tilted his head. “<I thought you didn’t like acorns.>”

“<I never said that! I just don’t like the rotten ones.>”

“<I’ll agree with you there.>”

Taking off low over the ground, the Taillows flew off to find the oak tree.

Pokedex OS- Still trying to capture every single Pokemon out there in words: 648/718 Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh complete!

Ten Commandments is on! It's still Saturday for me, but I'll be with my family tomorrow. So here's this.

I thought for a while about what would be good for Easter. Avoiding the obvious as usual, I came up with this idea for Manaphy and Phione. It deals with themes of the cycle of life and power of love, so I feel that it's appropriate for Easter. I was tempted for a bit to delay this to Mother's Day (it would fit that too), but decided Easter didn't have many other options for a good analogue.

MANAPHY
Platinum entry: It is born with a wondrous power that lets it bond with any kind of Pokemon.

PHIONE
Platinum entry: It drifts in warm seas. It always returns to where it was born, no matter how far it may have drifted.

The ocean has many faces, this one at its coldest. The arctic ice sheet clogged the water, causing it to turn slow and sluggish. A muted glow barely lit the depths as sunlight got tossed between trillions of ice crystals. There were still animals and Pokemon living in these extreme conditions, adapted to endure the bitter cold through fatty layers or becoming ice themselves.

Deep in these waters, there was a curious egg. It had a distinctive blue hue and was encased in the polar ice. It was well protected in this way, and another. If any hunter dared to break this egg out for a meal, it would find a brilliant aura that warned against predation. It would be a grave disrespect.

Beyond the ice sheet, a ghostly figure paced. To most eyes, it only came through as a shimmer, faint hints of blues and whites different than the arctic waters. It was a grand ghost, almost the size of a Waillord, but of a different body shape. It waited, watching the egg.

Then a brilliant blue light emerged from the shell. The ice burst into a shower of bubbles. As the froth cleared, a Pokemon appeared. About two feet tall, it was solid blue save for some yellow wave markings on its forehead. It had a large head for its small body and triangular shaped flippers instead of arms. Coming off the top of its head was a long ribbon-like antenna with a gold bulb at the end. But it was not a new Pokemon by any means.

It swam forward a short ways before addressing the ghostly figure. “Kyogre! Good to see you.”

The spirit of the ocean legend smiled back. “You too, Manaphy. What should I address you as this time?”

It considered for a moment, flipping its antenna around. “I think I’m male this time. We’ll go with male.”

“All right then. I was inspecting things when I noticed your egg a week ago.” She shook her head. “I can’t understand how you can stand being reborn every century.”

He swam out alongside her. “I’m not the only one who does that. And I don’t see how you can stand having your body sealed away ninety percent of the time.”

Manaphy made his bulb glow, pleased at that. “Thanks. But what are you worried for? I’ve never had trouble with my rebirths.”

“I know, but the humans have invented powerful ships that can break through even this ice. You may chose solid packs of ice so that you don’t go drifting off with a glacier, but what happens when one of these ships breaks through your birthplace? You could end up anywhere.”

“I think I would be fine, even if that happened.”

Kyogre’s spirit sighed. “If you say so. You haven’t had much contact with humans, so you have no idea how they can be.”

“It could be time to change that.” He paused, distracted in thought. “It could be time to change many things.”

She eyed him. “What kinds of things?”

He looked back to her. “Hmm? Oh, sorry, what was that?”

“What’re you thinking about?”

“Actually, it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a few years now. I haven’t told anybody, though.” Manaphy fell silent.

“Is something wrong?” Kyore asked, worry touching her voice again. “Manaphy, you have been acting odd as of late. Did something happen?”

He shook his head. “No, no, I’m fine. I just think... I’ve got somebody I want to talk to again. Goodbye.” He swam off, surprisingly fast for a creature of his size.

She watched him go, conflicted about what to do. She trusted him, and yet... “Somehow, I feel as though you’re about to do something foolish. Be careful.”

-+-

Much further south on the globe, there was another spot where the waters of the ocean moved slow. These were the infamous Dead Tides, where sailing ships could get stranded for weeks with no wind. There was life in these still waters, tough creatures that could bide their time and withstand the heat.

Manaphy had stopped his search in this Dead Tide, to consider his options. His body adapted perfectly to the heated waters, allowing him to maintain a quick pace. But it had been several weeks since he had hatched and there was still no sign of the one he wanted to see. He brought his bulb in front of his face and gazed into its faint glow. “I just don’t have the skills to pinpoint her location. Maybe I should find someone easier to locate first.”

Then a popping sound came from nearby. He turned to see a pink flash, and then a smaller Pokemon appeared. She had a seemingly underdeveloped body, but her eyes betrayed that she was one of the oldest beings in the world. “Hey there, Manaphy!”

He smiled. “Hi Mew. Good to see you well.”

She drifted through the water to get closer. “Yeah, but I’m not so sure about you. Kyogre said you seemed distracted when you hatched. Did something happen?”

“Was that all she said?”

“Not exactly. But you shouldn’t be making me worry about you. You’ve been acting oddly for a while. What’s the deal?”

Manaphy would usually tell others not to worry about him, but he knew there was no point here. Mew was known to every Pokemon as The Mother because she had that kind of love for everyone she ran across. “Actually, I was looking for you to talk about it. But you’re hard to find when I want to see you.”

She blushed. “Oh, sorry, I don’t mean for that kind of thing to happen.”

“It’s fine, I understand.”

“So what is it that’s been on your mind?”

“Well, it’s... you know how we sometimes take in other Pokemon as our own? You know, the abandoned hatchlings and the like?”

Mew smiled. “Yeah. You’re so good at that; all the ones you’ve raised love you for it.”

“I know, but... I’ve been wondering what it would be like to have my own child.”

She studied him quietly, seeming to gauge how serious he was.

“As much as I like the adopting and bonding with others, I feel jealous when I see the mothers that care for their own children. There was this one time, as I was watching a Floatzel teach his three Buizel children to hunt, that I felt like something was missing for me. I know the children I call my own love me, but I still wonder what it’s like to have an actual child. I don’t know if I can explain it any better. I just don’t feel like I’m living a complete life as I am.”

“That’s very unorthodox,” Mew finally said. “Pokemon like us aren’t supposed to have children. That’s never happened before.”

“But why can’t we? I know we weren’t created like the others, but we have hidden powers that the others don’t. Why couldn’t one of us have a child if we wanted to? Then I thought, you would really have the best potential for that, or to make something happen for me. I mean, since you were encoded with all of the secrets of life.”

“I don’t even understand those secrets. But I do see what you mean. The others have several ways to have children, and then we have none?”

“The rebirth thing just isn’t the same, since it’s me every single time.”

“Still, are you sure you want that to happen? You’d be risking a lot. You might even have to give up your powers and rebirth cycle. Even if you don’t, I find it highly unlikely that your child would be capable of them. It would live just one life and you’ll have no idea how short or long that will be.”

“I know that, but once it got into my heart, I just can’t let it go. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking that I should have a child and something is wrong because I don’t have one. I thought going through death would help me give up on the idea, but it seems to have gotten stronger. If I come to find out that the answer is an absolute no, I don’t know what I’ll do.” He brought his flippers up to cover his eyes.

Mew came closer and patted his head. “Keep yourself together, Manaphy. This may have never been done before, but if your instincts are pulling that strongly, then something is up. As for how it could be done, I’m not sure.”

He pulled his flippers down and together. “Will you help me?”

“I’ll see what can be done.” She made a graceful arc backwards into the waters, then turned back to him. “But you know, I’m not sure this is the place for your dreams.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you were to have a child, you’d want a good place to raise it, right? Go find one. I believe, if your heart speaks true, you will find it by the time I can give you the answer.”

She shook her head. “Don’t thank me until I’ve got something done. I’ll find you again.” With another pop, she vanished.

Agreeing that the Dead Tides were not where he’d want to raise his child, he set out to find the perfect spot.

-+-

Manaphy considered his own birthplace in the arctic cap, but soon discounted it. He was all right up there because he remembered everything, especially how to avoid the tough predators in that area. But most Pokemon in that area thrived on instinct, spending only days, sometimes only hours, with their mother. That was not the place.

There were various spots throughout the world’s oceans that he loved, but which one? Some had dangerous predators. Others had dangerous storms. Some had whirlpools while others had waterfalls. And yet others were gorgeous, only with humans living uncomfortably close.

But, following his heart as Mew hinted at, he found himself in a warm tropic area. Corsolas and corals grew profusely here, but it was distant enough from shore that the humans rarely came. Many Pokemon and regular animals lived here, but those numbers would deflect interest in his child as potential prey. There would be storms to worry about, but it was mostly calm. And some distance from the main coral and Corsola colonies, there was a wide sand bed where kelp grew.

Feeling it was the place he wanted, Manaphy stopped to rest. He found it difficult to sleep, though. Whatever part of his mind wanted to have a child was now bewildered at what to do next. It wasn’t supposed to happen, but something had triggered this incomplete parental instinct in his mind. It would not let go, even when it was fruitless for him to follow it.

Why was that? He had considered it many times over the past few years and had not come up with a good answer. He had adopted other Pokemon over his life to pacify this desire, but something had pushed it over the edge this time. One would think that if any of them would end up with this problem, it would be Mew with her maternal love for everyone. Then why was he the one going crazy?

Eventually, he must have fallen asleep as the next thing he thought clearly was hearing Mew call his name. He opened his eyes, but soon realized that he felt exhausted. She was spinning around trying to get his attention while Kyogre’s spirit drifted nearby. “Hey, come on!”

“Mew, Kyogre?” he murmured. “What is it?”

“You don’t look that good,” the large whale said in concern.

“Well I came to check up on you,” Mew said. “I’ve been asking around, seeing if there was any favors I could pull to do something. I couldn’t find anything, but when I arrived, there was a huge blue swell around you. I got Kyogre, but she didn’t know anything about it.”

“A swell?” he asked. “Like a storm swell?”

“Not quite,” Kyogre said, after a moment’s hesitation. “It was more like... a reality shift.”

“Yes, and then you two appeared,” Mew finished up.

“Two?” He looked at them and realized they were looking just behind him. He turned around and found what he’d been looking for all along.

It was an odd egg, distinctly blue like his eggs. However, those never appeared until his spirit left his last body and returned to his birthplace. It didn’t emit the same potent force, but there was a breath of life there. It lay half-buried in the sand.

Manaphy touched it. Instantly, his stalled out instincts jumped over the missing information and continued on their merry way. “It is my child,” he said in soft wonder.

“I don’t get it,” Kyogre said. “He’s even identified himself as male this lifetime, so how’d he make this egg on his own?”

Mew drifted for a moment with her eyes closed. “Long ago, when the very idea of life was new, there was a great desire and need for it. It could not be, it could not come from what had been, it absolutely could not be... but then at one moment, everything clicked and life began. This may be an echo of that, a rare moment when the desire and need for a new life is so great that it comes, heedless of any reason.”

“Your love is that strong,” Manaphy said, looking back at her. “But mine... I didn’t think it could.”

“But it has, so your love must be that strong.”

“But there can’t be two of him around,” Kyogre protested. “That isn’t how things work.”

“It is his child, but I doubt it’s exactly like him.” Mew came down and reached out to the egg. Manaphy felt a sharp stab of protectiveness, but forced it to relent. He could trust her. She observed the aura of the new life. Then she backed off with a gasp. “Oh dear...”

“What, is something wrong?” he asked, panicky.

“No, no, it’s something normal, just,” she made a visible effort to calm herself, then turned to him. “I hope you are ready for this. She won’t be as powerful as you. And she... well, she’s normal for the average Water Pokemon. Maybe a bit better, and yet... I really hope whatever power allowed this to happen knows what it’s doing.”

Mew’s large blue eyes seemed particularly sad at that moment. “I’m sure you know, what the problem is. I’ll will be there for you if you or your child ever need me. I really hope you’re ready.”

She wouldn’t elaborate any more and left soon after that.

-+-

After a few days of puzzling over the egg’s appearance, Manaphy decided to take the blessing for what it was. He found himself having to constantly put himself in check. Normally, he liked to make friends with any Pokemon who came along. He could understand any of them: the bullies and the bullied, the predators and the prey, the jaded and the innocent, the deluded and the perfectly normal. He could manipulate his own mind to see things from their point of view, and thus they always came to appreciate him.

But as he kept watch over his egg, he found himself less inclined to be friendly and more inclined to lash out at any who came too close. He could feel that the Mantine before him liked to swim through this area when he felt lonely. However, the path he wanted to swim came right over where the egg lay. “Yes, I can see that this place is a good ground for solace,” he said, gritting his teeth in an effort to hold back his fiercer instincts. “But I can’t let you be here.”

“Is something wrong with you, Manaphy?” the Mantine asked. “I mean, I’ve only met you just now, and yet, this isn’t what I’ve heard you to be like.”

“That’s true, I’m not myself right now.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t let you swim near here.”

“Oh, I see. I’ll be careful.” The Mantine swam away, keeping a wary eye on Manaphy.

Feeling guilty, the older Pokemon drifted down to the egg. It was a biting conflict in his heart, between his powers berating him for not letting a saddened Pokemon find its peace and his newly voiced instincts that advised that the Mantine was still closer than it should be. He stroked the eggshell and sighed.

“I wish I could be normal, like you,” he whispered. “I know that I have a greater purpose in the scheme of things, but... why did everything have to get strange so that you could be here?”

The egg thumped.

His heart thumped in response. A frantic pulse in his mind wanted to know that everything was safe. Manaphy darted around, not wanting to go far, but driven to make sure that there was no potential danger to his child. After the hurried search, he came back as a faint web of cracks appeared.

The next fifteen minutes were agonizing. He knew he had an easier time of it when he got reborn. This just proved it. But then all his fears and worries vanished for a moment when he found himself face to face with his daughter.

She looked almost exactly like him. She had his body, his bulb at the end of a ribbon-like antenna, his triangular flippers. She was a bit lighter of a blue, though, and she lacked the yellow forehead markings. Simplified, that’s what she was.

He smiled warmly at her, feeling a joyous pride come into his heart. “Hello. I am your father, Manaphy. I will name you Phione.”

Phione flicked her antenna some, causing the bulb to flicker. She seemed to feel safe and comfortable with him nearby. “Hello, father.” Then she smiled.

It was the happiest moment of his life, as long as that had been.

-+-

Phione couldn’t swim as strongly as Manaphy. But she was able to cling onto the Mantine’s tail as he raced about the kelp forest. “Wheee! You can’t shake me!”

The Mantine laughed. “Oh you don’t think so?” He shook himself briskly, making her squeal again.

Manaphy smiled at this, having tempered his protectiveness down to a reasonable level. The local Pokemon had been greatly surprised to find out that he had a child, but many had accepted her with open hearts. It helped that she was as kind and friendly as he was, smiling easily with laughter that was like music. She had made many friends over her first six months.

When the two friends paused in their play, he swam over to them. “Phione, come with me.”

“Okay!” she said. She turned and waved at the Mantine. “See you later!”

“Yeah, later.” He smiled and swam off.

Phione giggled as she paddled up to her father. “He’s so nice.”

He felt a momentary worry that she might be too young for... but that could wait until she was old enough. “He is. I have some more things to teach you now.”

“Really? Like what?” Her eyes sparkled with interest.

Manaphy spread his flippers out. “It’s about water, and the world that lies above it.”

“Above the water? Isn’t there just the sky?”

“No, there’s much more than that. There is land, like the ocean’s floor below us, only above water. Many Pokemon live there.”

“How do they do that? Doesn’t everybody need water?”

“There’s a lot more to life than what you see around you. Water can evaporate and climb into the air, creating the clouds we see in the sky sometimes. Those clouds go over the land, where the water inside drops down as rain. The rain then gathers in ponds and streams, which flow into lakes and rivers, which eventually comes back into the ocean.”

“Water can do that?” She looked thoughtful.

“Yes, it’s a powerful force.”

“What’s a pond like? Or a river, or those other things you mentioned? Can I go see them by joining the clouds?”

He laughed at her curiosity. “There are many of those places, each unique and different. You could go there if you wish.” He brought his flippers up to his face. “You are almost ready to go out on your own.”

Phione’s face glimmered with excitement at that possibility, but soon sobered. “But what about you, father? Will we be all right, on our own?”

“I’ve lived alone for centuries. I’ve told you before, that you are my dearest blessing. I love you, child, but I also have faith in you. You will go out and see the world with your own eyes in due time.”

-+-

When Phione was two years old, Manaphy found her in a freshwater lake. “This is so different from the ocean,” she told him. “But it’s all wonderful just the same. The Magikarp told me that there’s tunnels in a pond north of here that, if you go down them far enough, you’ll reach this massive underground lake where you can’t even see the sky! I’m going down there myself soon.”

“That’s great, but what happened to you?” He touched her left flipper with his; there was a healing wound there.

“Oh, that. I ran into this Carvanha, but he didn’t want to be friends. He thought I was something to eat and tried to kill me.”

Manaphy felt relief and worry at once. That was one of the things he feared for her. “Thank goodness you got away. I told you, you have to be careful around predators. They won’t recognize you as they do me.”

“I know,” she said. “I fought him off on my own.”

She was leaving out the fact that she had enjoyed the close call, Manaphy realized. He kept silent this time, but inwardly hoped that she wouldn’t continue to be that reckless.

-+-

Manaphy came back to the wide kelp field. It had been five years ago now, he thought, that he had come here hoping for some miracle. And she had come. He closed his eyes, content to recall the wonder of every encounter with her. It was different from his adopted children. He felt such a deep connection to Phione. That love was unquestionable. He didn’t care what she did, really, as the joy she brought into his life made anything forgivable.

He liked meeting up with her and listening to stories of her life. It was all ordinary stuff. He had heard such stories time and again, yet it was still interesting to hear her variation and her thoughts. And it would be about time to go looking for her again, right? It had been several months.

He felt the presence of someone nearby. When he looked, he realized that Phione was there too, brushing her flippers across the sand. Smiling, he swam over to her. “Phione! You came back here?”

She seemed startled, but then smiled back. “Oh, father. Yes, I came back. It’s good to see you well.”

She sank down into the sand. “I feel very tired. I did make a big effort to get back here. I didn’t remember the currents being so strong.”

He came down to sit by her. “You didn’t have to push yourself.”

“But I came.”

Why? Were you looking for me?”

“I hoped you would be here, but that’s not it.”

“Then what is?”

“I...” she stalled and looked saddened. “I became friends with a Mothim, but then he told me that he only lives for one year. I asked him if he was sad or scared, and he said no. He said that he enjoys every day he has, knowing that life will carry on. Life always carries on...”

He patted her back. “Life ends, yes, but it does always carry on. It finds ways. Anyhow, if you’re tired, you should rest.”

Phione’s eyelids lowered; it was apparent that she wanted to, but felt that she had to say something more. “Thank you, Manaphy, for bringing me to life. I’ve enjoyed it.”

“There’s no need to speak like that,” he said.

But then the light in her eyes faded out.

“Phione!”

She was dead.

-+-

Mew appeared in the kelp field of the ocean. She came down to Manaphy, who sat dispirited in the sand. “You knew that it had to happen,” she said softly.

“You didn’t tell me it would happen so soon,” he replied, without the energy to be angry.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for.”

She twitched her tail, noting that his eyes had not moved from the sand. “Except maybe in not coming for a couple of days.”

He sighed. “No... if you had come sooner, I would have been more hostile. As it is.. I’ve been thinking.”

Mew waited a bit, then asked, “About what?”

“What Phione was trying to tell me. About how life always carries on.” He pointed to the sand. “She left three eggs here. But, that’s how she died.”

“I see. She managed to create a family for you.”

“Yes. I still want to know why all this happened.” Manaphy sniffed and rubbed his face. “I still can’t figure it out. In the meantime, I’m watching these eggs for her.”

-+-

The sound of splashing had caught Manaphy’s attention. He observed a human Trainer with her Water Pokemon playing on the beach. It would have been an ordinary scene, save for one thing. One of the Phione was with the group.

He swam in closer, then waited for the Phione to be the only one underwater. He sent out an inviting whistle, waving his fin when his descendant noticed. The male turned to his Trainer and asked for permission to go deeper on his own, coming out as soon as he got it.

The Phione seemed awed to see him. “Are you really Manaphy?”

He nodded. “Yes. How are you doing with your Trainer?”

He flipped his antenna around, causing the bulb to flicker happily. “Great! I single-handedly beat a Gym last week. Well, with her guidance, but I was the only one she used.”

Manaphy smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear of it.”

He titled his head curiously. “So is it true, what I’ve heard? That you are our direct ancestor?”

“Yes, that is true.”

“Wow. But I thought the Pokemon of legend couldn’t bear children. Why were you made an exception?”

He brought his antenna close and made his bulb glow with a comforting light. “Feel this? From the first moment I opened my eyes to the oceans, I have always been able to understand others. I adapt my vision to see from your point of view, then offer comfort or encouragement as needed.”

The Phione was entranced. “I can feel that. That’s amazing.”

Manaphy set his bulb to back behind his head. “But as it turns out, I can only know so much by doing this. Some things I had to learn first hand, the best and worst of life. Since I have, I can use my powers more effectively and encourage those who wouldn’t have listened before.”

He nodded. “I like to encourage my teammates, but it is easier when it’s something that I’ve been through.”

“Exactly.” He patted his descendant on the back. “And thus, you and your kin carry my legacy.”

Pokedex OS- Still trying to capture every single Pokemon out there in words: 648/718 Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh complete!

I saw you were a profesional writer - what kinds of books?
Anyways, amazing fics. I love how you incorporated every detail on the pokemon and how it would go about it's daily life...(By the way, I've only read Magikarp/Skitty/Torkoal/Tailow/Swellow/Phione/Manaphy.)
Keep up the good work
Oh and if you could, an Eevee (dunno if you have already) one would be great. Sorry if that sounds weird, idk who you 'ask'.

@brisngr9021: I'm a novelist of fantasy. I don't have anything published yet; it's difficult getting a book accepted. But this encourages me a lot, since people obviously like what I write.

I did Eevee; it's one of the longest ones here. The only Eevees I haven't done are Espeon and Glaceon.

Today, we have another moral story! And it's a good time to request a Pokemon.

In Process: Lairon/Aggron
On Deck: Politoed
Reserve: Treecko (4/22)

MAGBY
Leaf Green entry: Each and every time it inhales and exhales, hot embers dribble out of its mouth and nostrils.

SMOOCHUM
R/S entry: Smoochum actively runs about, but also falls quite often. Whenever the chance arrives, it will look for its reflection to make sure its face hasn't become dirty.

ELEKID
Emerald entry: If it touches metal and discharges the electricity it has stored in its body, an Elekid begins swinging its arms in circles to recharge itself.

Tucked away in the suburbs, there was a shop called Little Companions. It was an old mom and pop store that had been on Maguire Street since the area was a small village dwarfed by its big city neighbor. The city had swallowed the village whole, but the Pokemart franchise had yet to put Little Companions out of business.

The main reason for this was because the family owning the store were well known as excellent breeders. At all times, they kept a few young Pokemon up for sale. It was never a lot at a time, but the species they raised were rare. They even traded with distant Trainers in order to get even more unique types in.

One of the three currently for sale in Little Companions was Magby. He was a slender red chick with a lumpy cap-growth on his head. Tiny embers continually drooled from his bill; if he held them in, his throat would get really dry, maybe even hurt. However, the girl looking at him made a face. “That’s gross. Can you teach him not to drool like that?”

“He’ll get control of his fire powers when he evolves,” the shopkeeper said. “It’s perfectly normal, so don’t place him near something dry or flammable.”

“I dunno.” She looked around for a bit longer, but left without buying anything.

Magby hung his head low. “<Aw man... am I bad?>”

The shopkeeper patted his head. He was a kind human. “Don’t worry, little guy. I’m not sure you would have done well under her anyhow. But once we get a real fan of Fire Pokemon in, they’ll be certain to make you great.”

“<Maaaaagbyyyyy!>”

He looked down to see a small pink Pokemon with blond hair running across the shop floor. He thought Smoochum seemed like another almost-bird, but she insisted that she would grow up to be almost human. “<What is it?>”

Looking up at him, she failed to notice the edge of the floor tile and tripped onto her face. “<Oof.>”

Magby hopped off the store counter and waddled over to her. “<You okay?>”

She got up and rubbed her wide lips. “<Yeah, I guess. Did something get on my face?>” She glanced around and soon spotted a metal bumper. It protected the merchandise on the shelves from falling off if ran into. Because it was curved, it reflected them as much wider and squatter than they were.

“<No, you’re clean.>”

“<Oh good.>” She frowned at the bumper. “<I don’t like that thing. It makes me look ugly.>”

Not wanting to get her lost on that subject, Magby asked, “<So what were you calling me for?>”

“<Oh, right! Elekid found something cool. Come on.>” She turned and hurried back down the aisle.

“<Hang on; I can’t run as fast.>” He followed after her.

At the other end of the shop, they found Elekid standing inside a cardboard box. He was a bright orange feline with black stripes; the box was taller than his plug-in horns. It was standing on its side, the open end facing them. A few small items were left inside. He waved one of his clawed hands at them. “<Hey there, Magby. Look what I discovered.>”

“<That’s a nice sturdy box,>” he replied. “<What’re you using it for?>”

“<It’s my own personal television. I’m going to be a celebrity.>”

He perked his head up. “<Really? That’s awesome. So, what kind of show are you on?>”

Elekid waved his arms out. “<What else? A cop show. Wanna watch?>”

“<Sure.>” He and Smoochum sat in front of the box to watch.

Their peer brought his hands out, as if imaging the scene. “<So the cop’s sitting at his favorite coffee shop...>”

“<Eating a donut?>” Smoochum asked.

“<No! Everybody makes TV cops eat donuts, so my show won’t.>”

“<What’s he eating then?>” Magby added.

Pausing in his story-telling, Elekid thought. “<Mmm... a danish. Again... the cop’s sitting at his favorite coffee shop, eating a danish, when all of a sudden, PA-ZOWIE!>”

Right as he said PA-ZOWIE, he touched a metal nail that was in the box with him. Bright sparks of electricity flared up, sending a bright flash around the cardboard box. The two other young Pokemon stared for a moment, then clapped at the special effect.

He continued with a grin. “<A big bad, uh, bad guy appears!>”

“<Is he an alien?>” Magby called out.

“<Um, possibly. Okay, so the big bad possibly alien bad guy appears with a super electro-gun! But the cop is not afraid! He gets up and starts chasing down the bad guy.>” At this, he began swinging his two arms around. “<And they go run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run.>”

Elekid began spinning his arms faster. “<And then the bad guy steals a car! But not to worry. The cop brings out his radio and calls out his car! And then comes the great big car chase! Everybody is rushing around the city, going zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom.>” He started spinning in place to emphasize this.

“<And they crash into a fruit stand!>” Magby called out, jumping up and accidentally knocking Smoochum over..

“<Yeah! And fruit goes flying everywhere, getting all smashed up and making everyone in the vicinity sticky. But even that doesn’t stop the bad guy or the cop! They keep on with the chase. Chase, chase, chase, chase, chase.>” He started running laps around the box, swinging his arms around.

Getting onto her feet, Smoochum put her hands together. “<Um, how long does the car chase scene go on?>”

“<Well I can’t fire the super electro-gun until I’ve got a big enough charge, so... whoops!>” He had stumbled over the nail he’d hit before.

“<Oh no!>” Magby cried out. “<The cop got in a nasty wreck!>”

Elekid got up. “<But he did so intentionally, so he can stop the big bad alien bad guy.>” He swung his arms around again. “<But then the bad guy bursts out of the rubble! He begins charging his super electro-gun, this time to way-too-awesome power!>”

Excitedly, the Fire type hopped into the cardboard TV. “<Not so quick, for now comes in the alien bounty hunter cowboy!>”

“<Alien bounty hunter cowboy?>” his co-star asked.

“<He’s a cowboy that hunts down alien criminals.>”

“<Oh. Well awesome! But he’s still charging.>” Elekid spun his arms as fast as he could, to increase his charge.

“<Erk!>” He flopped over, letting his tongue hang out. “<And the big bad alien bad guy is down for the count!>”

Smoochum squealed. “<Eek! The car wreck has gone up in flames!>”

Looking down, they saw that the embers dripping from Magby’s beak were beginning to smolder on the cardboard. He put his hands over his face. “<Oops. Sorry!>” He got out of the box.

“<But the cop’s still in trouble,>” the Ice-type said, clambering into the cardboard TV. “<And then his magical girlfriend shows up to save the day once and for all!>”

“<I have a magical girlfriend?>” Elekid asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

“<Yes!>” She took in a deep breath, then blew snowy crystals over the embers. They went out in an instant. “<And the cop is saved.>”

“<Geez, thanks magical girlfriend.>” He got back onto his feet.

She giggled. “<Now you’ve got to kiss me in gratitude.>”

Elekid’s eyes went wide. “<What?! No! It’s in my contract that I don’t do any kissing scenes.>”

“<Are you sure? See, there’s a clause at the end of it, that you don’t have to do any kissing scenes unless a cute starlet comes onto the show. Well I’m a cute starlet, so you’ve got to kiss me.>” She puckered her lips.

Hey, great stories! The Magby/Smoochum/Elekid story was cute, the moral made me laugh. The Tailow/Swellow story was really spot-on with there PokeDex description, although everyone of them is. May I request a Hitmonchan/Hitmonlee, or an Electivire story.

Hey, great stories! The Magby/Smoochum/Elekid story was cute, the moral made me laugh. The Tailow/Swellow story was really spot-on with there PokeDex description, although everyone of them is. May I request a Hitmonchan/Hitmonlee, or an Electivire story.

This one lives up to its predicessors for sure! Just one thing, Elekid isn't really all that feline though. Least I don't think so.

my random thought of the week: Life is full of surprises--That's what we love and hate about it. Once we think we've got things figured out, life throws us a screwball. Sure it sucks for a while, but we always come back for more.Now why would you want to click this?

I'm really sorry about missing the Muk/Cheriim. I didn't want to do it for Earth Day because Muk seems like such an obvious antagonist that I'd like to make it a protagonist.

Also, Electrabuzz is feline; looks like a leopard/tiger to me. Therefore, Elekid is also feline.

In this entry, I had a puzzle that anyone working in the Pokemon world in detail might have. If there's creatures that eat rocks and metals, as opposed to none in our world, then how does their food supply keep up with demand? My guess is that the Pokemon world has a lot more volcanic activity than ours. In that case, maybe the trees grow as fast as those in Animal Crossing.

LAIRON
Emerald entry: When two Lairon meet in the wild, they fight for territory by bashing into each other with their steel bodies. The sound of their collision carries for miles.

AGGRON
Sapphire entry: Aggron is surprisingly protective of its environment. If its mountain is ravaged by a landslide or a fire, this Pokemon will haul topsoil to the area, plant trees, and beautifully restore its own territory.

Black smoke trailed across the sky. Warm ashes drifted with the breeze along the open field. Overhead, the mountain lay bleeding, a trickle of lava tumbling down the eastern face. It was never a violent outburst from this volcano. No, always just a quiet lumbering lava flow that scorched the landscape.

Various Pokemon were scurrying about to change their homes. Those sensitive to the ash, fire, or gas rushed to find a new location away from the flow, while those who thrived in such conditions moved in. One of the former was a large iron-clad beast who watched the fire’s progress from afar. “<And it had just recovered from the last big lava flow,>” the Lairon said to himself. “<That’s a shame.>” He turned and moved on.

Every now and then, he paused to check on the surroundings. The caution paid off, as he felt the vibrations of a rival walking his way. It was a treacherous idea to come this way for a new territory. But he had no choice. Lairon’s former land was now being swallowed by the lava flow. And it didn’t matter which way he traveled; there was sure to be another of his kind around who wouldn’t take the intrusion lightly.

They met across a dip in the landscape. It was another male, one he had fought with over this boundary for years. The black spots dotted across his steel gray armor gave him an identity, if one cared to learn the patterns. “<What are you doing in my land?>” the rival sneered.

“<I”m taking this area for my own again,>” he replied. Certain other Pokemon might try pleading for pity about the lava flow. But it wouldn’t work here. It never did among the Lairon kind.

He snorted and stamped his hoof. “<I won’t allow it. This is my land!>”

“<I am not backing down.>”

“<Then I’ll prove it to you.>” He lowered his head.

The wandering Lairon did the same. Good, he was being quick about this. If he kept trying to talk and bluff him out, the debate would stalemate until they did prove themselves. He readied himself, then charged across the dip at his rival, who was doing the same.

The tremendous clash caused by the head-on collision echoed through the mountains and valleys for miles around. Smaller Pokemon bolted in fright, thinking that the volcano had finally exploded. Older ones, having heard this kind of thing before, just shook their heads.

Although the wandering Lairon gave it his best effort, when he collided with his rival, he got thrown back five feet. As their armors rang in resonance, the rival smirked. “<Then that’s it. Get out of here.>’

“<I’ll be back,>” he threatened. But it was an empty threat. Without his own land, he didn’t feel as strong as ususal. He had to claim something.

But where could he go? He had encountered others of his kind all along his territory. That is, all but up the mountain. It was said that even stronger Pokemon lived on the volcano. But he’d never had any territory battles with other species. Could that work out?

Deciding to try, the wanderer turned towards the volcano. Black smoke continued to loom overhead.

-+-

Slopes had always been a hassle to navigate. His whole body lay low to the ground to support the weight of his steel armor fully. If the grade was gentle, the wandering Lairon could handle it. But with it varied, and getting steeper, it was difficult to keep himself from sliding on loose rocks.

But the land here was magnificent. Despite the rough conditions, the grass grew tall and lush. Young trees stood bravely, growing as fast as they could to make up for a shortened life expectancy. Flowers were abundant, of all sorts of colors. One would think, with stronger Pokemon, that there would be more battle scars.

Pausing, he felt a tremble in the ground. Some Pokemon was coming, a large one. As it didn’t seem familiar, he readied himself for a possible battle.

When it appeared, he felt stunned. It was a large beast eerily similar to himself, with a bulky body and steel armor plates. But she was bipedal, with a bulky tail to balance herself. She had clawed hands and three large horns sticking out from her snout. The wandering Lairon had heard about her kind, but didn’t know there was one living so near him.

He shrank back respectfully. “<Master Aggron, I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was crossing into your land.>”

She chuckled and continued to approach until ten feet from him. “<It’s not a problem, Lairon. Your land was over there?>” She pointed towards the fire down below.

“<Yes. The lava flow has taken all of it.>”

“<And I would say that it was you and some other that I heard clashing a while back.>”

“<Right again. I could have beaten him before, but without my land, I’m not as strong as before.>”

“<That’s not exactly true, but I understand.>” She tapped a claw against her armor, thinking. “<I wouldn’t mind you staying until the lava cools, but this isn’t good land for you. If you don’t mind a short trek, I seem to think that there’s an unclaimed meadow on the north side of the mountain.>”

“<Maybe. But, why do you help me?>” He had a reason to be suspicious. He knew that his kin (and hers) were not sociable, nor helpful. The only exceptions he could think of were times of dire need and a certain season, but it clearly wasn’t either of those.

“<You ever meet an Aggron before?>”

“<No.>”

“<Evolution changes you, often in unexpected ways. This is true for all Pokemon. Thus, I’m not restrained by the behaviors that dictate your life.>”

Lairon considered that, but it seemed foreign to him. “<I see. But what do you do, if you don’t fight for your land?>”

“<I fight for it too, but in different ways.>” She nodded and spread her claws out. “<You see this area? A few months ago, it was burnt to nothing by one of the lava fountains. Once that fire died, I came back to this place, revitalized it. And thus, it now is beautiful.>”

He looked over at a red-violet flower growing near him. Everything he saw was surprisingly healthy. “<This is all your work?>”

“<Not all; plants have a strong will to survive any adversity. But I assisted them by breaking up the soil and bringing in more seeds and saplings. I am not fighting any other Pokemon. I am fighting the destructive forces of the world.>”

“<But you can’t fight a force. You can’t strike against it in battle.>”

“<Not fighting in that sense. I am not sure you would understand right now, even if I explained more.>”

“<Right. I think I’ll look for that meadow.>” He was going to head off, but something at the back of his mind nagged at him. He looked up at the Aggron. “<If you don’t mind... since you seem so wise, would you answer something for me?>”

“<I’ll try.>”

“<Okay. My land is my identity. When it is strong, I am strong. I defend it against any other Lairon who would take it. That’s what I know. What I don’t know, though, is why this volcano keeps sending lava down to destroy my land. Am I doing something wrong?>”

She clucked her tongue sympathetically and shook her head. “<No, Lairon, you are doing nothing wrong. You are doing what you can to protect your home. However, this volcano is a force beyond ordinary Pokemon. None of us decides how and when it bursts.>”

“<But why does it?>”

“<That’s the same as asking why you do what you do. You have your instincts that you follow, I have mine, and the volcano has its own. But don’t let it get to you. When that lava cools, it will have fresh rocks and iron for you. If it did not regularly flow, our food would run out. It’s as simple as that.>”

“<That’s simple?>” When she didn’t respond, he added, “<I suppose having fresher rocks to eat will be a blessing. I will just have to be patient.>”

“<That’s right.>” She smiled at some inward thought, then waved to him. “<Good luck, Lairon. Work on your body and mind, and you might understand what I have said today in your own time.>”

“<If you say so.>” The wandering Lairon turned to leave. When he glanced back, the master had already gone.

Last edited by Ysavvryl; 22nd April 2009 at 4:55 PM.

Pokedex OS- Still trying to capture every single Pokemon out there in words: 648/718 Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh complete!

TREECKO
Emerald entry: It makes its nest in a giant tree in the forest. It ferociously guards against anything nearing its territory. It is said to be the protector of the forest's trees.

Entry 36

Today wasn’t a good day for me. I wasn’t too eager about the whole process, unlike some of the other Pokemon at the lab. But like I wrote last time, I was hoping for some interesting person for a Trainer. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be: whether a tough battler, or a swell contestant, or maybe even something different. Just so long as it was an interesting person to be with, I didn’t care what we did.

Things didn’t work out that way, though. There were some nice kids there, a couple who even seemed interested in me. But they always picked another Pokemon, until it came down to the last one. Yup, that was me. Out of twelve available, I had to be the last one there. While I was consoling myself that it wasn’t that big of a loss and there’d always be another chance, the last new Trainer crashed into the door and smashed his nose.

From there, it was pretty obvious what happened. The klutz king apologized profusely for his accident and lateness. Apparently, he has no respect for alarm clocks. He acted excited to be getting a Pokemon, accepted me without a single thought, then put me back into my Pokeball to rush out.

It seems he ran into something else on the way, because when I was called back out, he had a long scratch on his cheek. He looked over me for the first time and rolled his eyes. “Sheesh, I had to be last and get a Grass starter. You’re going to be just plain awful against all the city Pokemon around.”

I snorted and crossed my arms over my chest. True, there are a lot of Pokemon I’m weak to that are almost native to city environments. But I’m going to grow up to be fast, and that can often overcome simple weaknesses.

“Well I’ve already got an awesome team coming around,” the klutz king said. “I was hoping for a strong fire type from the Professor. You’ll drag us down. So I’m letting you go.” He activated the ball’s release program and freed me.

I felt odd for a moment. It was like my body vibrated, but then settled down. I guess it was whatever links the ball to us. Anyhow, I wasn’t about to let that loser change his mind, so I ran off.

Not much went right after that. Canine Pokemon chased after me, some Pidgies thought it would be funny to tease me, and I found it hard to find any clean place to soak in the sunshine for a moment. And New York City is so immense. I never realized it, but these concrete streets are so long and the metal skyscrapers even longer in another direction. I don’t know who decided to nickname these places ‘concrete jungles’, but they didn’t quite get it. There’s too much concrete, that’s for sure, but it’s far from being a jungle. More like a concrete madhouse.

One thing did go right, thankfully. Right at the end of the day, I located a small park. It has about two dozen trees. Not an ideal environment for a Treecko by any means, but good enough for now. I’ll explore my new home tomorrow.

Entry 37

This park is all right, but it looks like no one’s paid much attention to it lately. The grass is sparse because the soil is of poor quality. There’s bitter and poisonous weeds sprouting up instead. While there are clearly labeled trash bins, not many people seem to use them. There aren’t many flowers besides dandelions. Not that I mind them; they are a nice bright yellow that cheers up even this dull place and they’re tasty. But there should be variety.

The trees are tough old sentinels. Maybe someone took care of them in their youth, for they seem mostly healthy. But lack of attention is getting to them too, and they aren’t leafing out as much as they should be. They need some love.

There’s not much I can do right now, but I’m going to do what I can.

I started off with the littering problem. Keeping out of notice, I picked up trash that I found and put them into their bins. Once, I noticed a smoker tossing his cigarette butt onto the ground. I managed to snatch up that butt, then stick it in the rear pocket of his pants. It was still warm, so he noticed a short time later. Serves him right.

Entry 40

I had some trouble today. A trio of teenaged humans came by to drink beer and talk noisily. They were annoying even the other humans with all the racket they were making. And then one of them had the nerve to stamp on an empty beer can and toss it behind him.

I did the proper thing. I picked up the crushed can and threw it at his head. Then I dove under a pine tree, so he didn’t notice. His buddies just laughed. One of them threw the can back. I returned the deed. After a few more rounds of this, they left, convinced that the park was haunted.

Such idiots. But then they called the police. An hour later, a police Trainer with three Poochenyas came to investigate. The canines tracked me down quickly. “<Say buddy,>” one asked me, “<You know of a trouble-making spirit around here?>”

“<No, but I just moved in a few days ago.>”

“<You’re kind of weird for this area,>” another told me.

“<So what of it?>”

“<We got sent to find a ghost or something that threw beer cans at some people.>”

“<That was me.>”

“<You?>”

I hissed. “<They were littering in my territory! Complete disrespect. I had to show them that I mean business.>”

One of the Poochenyas looked surprised. “<This is your place? It’s kinda trashy as it is.>”

“<I know, but I’m going to make it better. I’ll clean it up and make it look good.>”

“<That’s gonna be a tough job.>”

Another then wagged his tail. “<Well if you’re looking to clean this place up, I suppose you were just protecting it. We’ll leave you be for now, but don’t let anybody get seriously hurt.>”

“<I won’t.>” And I mean it.

It looks like this park is my responsibility now, even if the humans don’t realize it. I’ve made a nest in the largest oak tree. It’s not that great, but neither is this park. But I feel all fired up to do this. Taking care of nature is in my blood. I swear by the great sun above that I will make this a beautiful place.

Entry 49

I’m writing today from a Pokecenter. The nurse seemed quite surprised when I brought out my diary, but she’s let me be. I guess she doesn’t see a lot of Pokemon writers. However, it’s something I learned from my mother. She was one smart cookie. She had won so many intelligence Contests that if she wore as many of her ribbons as she could, there would still be boxes left over. Because she likes it so much, she taught all of her children to write in a diary. I was one of the few who figured it out.

Not that the nurse or any other human would be able to read this. They might be able to decipher some of the pictographs, but not all.

Yesterday, the police got serious and sent a Metang after me. This strange beast of a Steel-Psychic had the same problem as the Poochenyas. It didn’t like that I was dealing an eye-for-an-eye with the littering people. I gave him the same explanation that I gave the canines.

It didn’t work. “<We are not to harm humans in any fashion,>” the Metang said sternly. “<This is not your habitat and you have no right to do as you please. This city has laws, even for Pokemon.>”

“<Well excuse me if no one’s bothered to teach me better,>” I said sarcastically. “<I suppose you don’t mind the steel monoliths taking over the green earth and choking out all natural life that there is.>”

“<If you believe I am unnatural, then you are mistaken.>” It fired a blast of Psychic energy at me.

I just barely managed to roll out of that initial blast. I retaliated as best I could. However, while my mother taught me how to keep a diary, she never taught me much on how to battle. All I could do was pound the Metang on the head and Leer a little. I couldn’t even make a dent on its skin. But this small park had gotten into my system. It was my land and I was going to protect it from anyone who dared hurt it or try to take me away from it.

It clicked at me. “<Your struggle is worthless. Come quietly.>” The air around it shimmered like it did off the pavement on hot afternoons.

For a moment, I felt hopeless. Then I realized that it was just trying to psyche me out. Angered further, I darted forward and used Pound on one of its eyes. “<I swore by the sun that I would make this place beautiful and I will!>”

The Metang flinched noticeably, so I struck its eye again. But then it hit me point blank with Psychic. My body felt like it was being ripped apart at the smallest level. I tried to bite its eye as a last resort move, but the damage was too much and I blacked out.

I know I was facing something that I stood no chance against. And yet, I feel awful in that loss. I was taken from my park. I must return, no matter what.

Entry 50

The nurse isn’t happy with me. I tried to escape five times today, but every time I was caught by the resident Chansey group. She threatened to capture me in a Pokeball just so that I would stay put. It seems that they fear that the Metang gave me a concussion. I feel all right, except that my trees are calling.

But a reporter came today to visit. She had a cheery Spoink with her. “<We want to talk to you about the park,>” the Spoink told me. “<So she’ll ask the questions and I’ll translate the answers.>”

“<Okay. When will I get back to the park?>”

“You won’t be returning,” the reporter told me. “The Pokecenter is going to turn you over to Pokemon Adoption Services. They won’t release a non-native like you back into the city.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed. “<How could they do that? It’s my home.>”

She made a note, then asked, “What were you doing in that little park?”

“<Apparently I wasn’t good enough for the kid who picked me out as his starter. Not that I mind; he was a horrible klutz and I didn’t like him one bit. It was the first green place I came to, although not by much. So I determined that I would improve it and make it my own.>”

“Does that have something to do with why you were attacking people?”

“<They were throwing trash into my park. I really hate the smokers, as their cigarettes stink and are poisonous.>”

They asked other questions, but I stood my ground. I hope they’re able to convince the nurse or the PAS to let me back into my park. On the other hand, I also hope they don’t portray me as some crazy dangerous Pokemon.

Entry 51

I got two interesting visitors today. The first was the klutz king. That’s right, the kid I nearly got stuck with. He came in with the nurse. “So I heard you’ve been trying to defend some dinky little park. You could have gone to Central Park if you wanted someplace green to live.”

“<Well sorry if I don’t know my way around this endless city,>” I retorted with a glare.

“And you took on a police Metang to do it. That’s pretty gutsy for a Pokemon like you to do.”

“You’re not taking her back, if that’s what you’re thinking,” the nurse said sternly. “What were you thinking, releasing a non-native Pokemon like her into the big city? She’s lucky she just fought a Metang. She could have been run over by a car and killed.”

“They’re tough creatures,” he tried to brush off.

“They’re God’s creatures as much as you and I. Someone as careless as you shouldn’t be a Trainer.”

“But I didn’t really pick her.”

“You were given responsibility for her care and failed at that completely. Every Pokemon deserves respect. If you won’t show it to them, then they won’t show it to you. And others will know of your neglect.”

“Aw come on.”

Somehow I feel as though he isn’t going to get much support from other Pokecenters now. That’s got to be a major blow to anyone’s career as a Trainer.

My second visitor was much better. He wore tan pants and a green shirt. “Hey girl,” he said with a smile. “I work for city government, handling park affairs. That little park you were found at wasn’t officially listed, since it was under private ownership. But when the news reported about your methods of dealing with littering, we’ve decided to look into buying the property.”

“<So long as somebody’s taking care of it, I guess that’s good.>”

“I might get put in charge of the restoration if it all works out. But I thought that you should be involved as well. It’s the way of your kind, isn’t it, to protect the forests you’ve claimed?”

I looked him in the eyes and felt like he was being honest. So I nodded. If things work out, he’ll adopt me and let me be in my park as it gets restored. It’s still all uncertain, as the old owner has to sell it to the city and the adoption papers have to be certified. But I feel it’s hope for a better life than one I could have gotten in the Professor’s lab.

Pokedex OS- Still trying to capture every single Pokemon out there in words: 648/718 Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh complete!

POLITOED
Fire Red entry: Whenever three or more of these get together, they sing in a loud voice that sounds like bellowing.

Now city guides and all are nice, but they don’t tell you about every place to be seen. Such pamphlets will happily tell you about the big name places and all the civic sites to be seen. But if you get in the know with the locals, there’s always a few great places that never make the lists. These little secrets often can be better than the big name hotshots.

One such place around here is the Jazz Counter over up on Maple Street a ways. They make a mess of homestyle foods, like chicken fried steak with gravy and real mashed potatoes. Generally, they’ve got a guy at the piano during the early day, but if you go around afternoon or evening time, they open up their stage to anybody who brings their own instruments. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it ain’t, but the players have heart, so you gotta give them that. Especially if it’s one of the kids from the school thereabouts.

I can tell you an interesting story about the place, if you like.

You’ve got your people who play at Jazz Counter once and then aren’t seen again. But then you get the regulars, good folks who come on a more or less regular basis. Like Mike and his Politoed Paul. They’re getting on to being old folks, but they’re out at the place every Thursday evening. Mike plays the saxophone, and he does so well. He teaches at the school, you know.

And Paul, well that Pokemon has got one smooth voice. He comes and hangs by Mike’s chair and does this lovely deep melody that I’ve never heard a human match. They’ve never played the same thing twice, at least to my recollection. They always played off each other and blended together perfectly. Good folks, they’re willing to jam with others who ask to play.

Poliwags are all over the place out here, and so you see lots of Poliwraths about. But not much for Politoed. I hear they’ve got to be traded or something with a King’s Rock. I believe it. Paul’s got a little curly hair above his green head that sticks up there like a little floating crown. Makes him all regal, I guess. But he sure ain’t stuck up or anything.

There was this one Thursday a while back where we got a bit of a surprise out at the Jazz Counter. Somebody with two Politoeds dropped by while Mike and Paul were playing. One of them I guess was a female while the other was wearing a jaunty purple hat. Paul, of course, was interested in his two kin, so Mike let him take a break while he did a sax solo.

Now I happened to be near the three Pokemon, but I ain’t never figured out their language completely. Still, I watched to see what would happen. Paul seemed happy at first, and croaked cheerily with his new companions. The one with the hat spoke the most, while the girl with him seemed to agreed on most anything he said. The one time she didn’t agree, she smacked the hatted one upside the head. Seems she knows how to keep her guy in line.

After a bit, though, Paul was looking nervous. The other two were talking at him while he tried to impress them with something, but it wasn’t working. It was something like one car guy telling about his project Chevy that’s half-gutted in the garage when the other car guy tells that he’s got two nice shiny hot rods in front of the house and a third in progress. He can try all he like, but the one mid-project guy isn’t going to come up to par with the two car guy. Seems whatever the Pokemon were talking about, Paul only had his project while the two others had lots.

Then the dispirited Politoed looked to Mike and got an idea. He talked with the two others about something that they seemed pleased with. With that, the three left the table and went over to the stage. Paul tapped his Trainer on the leg and made a sign that he wanted the two others to sing with them.

Mike nodded, of course. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him turn down anybody that wanted to play along, and he’s tolerant of whatever skill level they’re at. After thinking a bit, he started a common and simple melody on his sax. It’s the kind of thing Clefairies like to sing, so I hear. Paul knew it well and was singing along low as usual.

Now the two others glanced at each other, like they weren’t sure about this. But then the male with the jaunty hat shrugged, then belted out this massive note. I swear, you probably could’ve heard that Politoed from miles away. It was the right note, I suppose, but so loud that everybody in the restaurant was startled. One of the waitresses dropped a plate. Paul stopped singing, although Mike didn’t let it bother him. He kept playing.

Then the girl Politoed started singing too, and she was as loud as her friend. Paul wasn’t sure what to do; I’ve heard him croak out pretty loud before, but nothing like this. And he always matched his volume perfectly with the instruments so nobody got drowned out. So he looked down at the floor, apparently embarrassed.

With that, the Trainer of the other two got up. “Will you stop that racket already?! That’s not how music is to be sung.”

The hatted one and the girl Politoed stopped right then, looking embarrassed as well. Paul looked back up, but started leaning against the chair. And then Mike stopped playing.

I know you don’t know Mike, so let me tell you something about him. He don’t talk much, at least around here. He says a couple of words every now and then, and he usually won’t stop his music for much of anything beyond a glass of water. So when he stopped then, everybody paused, wondering what was on his mind.

Calmly, he replied to the man, “There ain’t a wrong way to be playing your music, aside from not knowing your instrument or your voice. And that’s their natural way of singing, cause they used to have to call out to each other from across great swamps and lakes. So it ain’t wrong, just different, like how me and Paul play different.” Then he turned to the three Pokemon. “It’s all good, long as you’ve got your heart in the beat.”

With that, he went back to playing his music. Paul soon joined him, a good deal happier than he had been a moment ago. The other two, though, they went back to their Trainer and we never saw those three again.

But I’m sure if you come around to the Jazz Counter this Thursday evening, you’ll find Mike and Paul there, still playing.

Pokedex OS- Still trying to capture every single Pokemon out there in words: 648/718 Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh complete!

Oh dear, poor Treecko. Stranded in the city by a jerk. I did like the hopeful message it brought across, though. And the Politoed one was fun, in a somewhat Huck Finn-ish style. Bellowing in a restaraunt ... XD

Thanks. Anyhow, still open to suggestions for Mother's Day and Memorial Day.

In Process: Hitmonlee
On Deck: Electivire, Munchlax/Combee

MUK
Fire Red entry: It is usually undetectable because it blends in with the ground. Touching it can cause terrible poisoning.

CHERRIM
Pearl entry: It is docile as a bud, but turns cheerful when it blooms. It folds back into a bud if sunlight wanes.

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

The mud was in a gooey state, partly dried after the evening rain. The old street lights hummed and flickered, attracting some nocturnal Bugs. Just beyond the rings of light, unseen Pokemon prowled around, reluctant to leave the darkness. Wild ones hunting or captive ones guarding? It was hard to tell.

In the lights, a small Pokemon hopped along the dirty sidewalk. He looked like a flower with closed purple petals. He had two sets of feet: one on the green stem topping his current form like a small cap, and the other at the tips of his petals. Using the latter, he hurried and used the light for safety.

The flower stopped hopping for a bit to creep along on his tiny petal feet. There was a horrid stench around here, like rotting vegetation and death. Cautiously, he peeled few of his petals apart to look around. Due to the night, it only revealed his yellow eyes in shadow. He could only see a fence of chicken wire and black silhouettes of buildings and trees. Inside the chicken wire fence, there seemed to be a heap of kitchen garbage.

“<Is that what stinks?>” he whispered to himself. “<What’re they doing with the garbage out in the open?>” He hopped closer to check things out.

“<I’d be careful if I were you,>” a quiet female voice said.

He peeked out of his petals again to see something he’d missed the first time: violet ooze on the ground. As he watched, the ooze lifted itself off the ground and grew, becoming taller and wider than he was. Some of the ooze shifted, revealing large yellow eyes oddly like his own.

The ooze formed a mouth, like a smile. “<Not a disturbance, dear, I’m just worried about accidentally poisoning a little plant like you.>”

“<You’re worried about that?>”

“<Yes, it wouldn’t be very neighborly of me if I poisoned everything and everyone around me. Problem is, it’s far too easy for me to do that, so I’m careful. Call me Muk; I don’t bother with nicknames or anything silly like that.>”

“<Right. I’m a Cherrim. My Trainer is visiting her grandparents, so I’m just here for a few weeks.>”

She nodded, as much as a pile of ooze could nod. “<I see. They’re nice people and leave the garbage out for me.>”

“<Why would that be nice? It’s smelly over here. I came over to find out why.>”

“<Oh, pardon me. That’s partly me as well. It’s nice that they leave it out because that’s what I eat. Just not the metal things, but they know that.>”

Cherrim shied away. “<So, erm, you eat all the old vegetables and table scraps?>”

Muk chuckled. “<You have nothing to fear from me, dear, so long as you don’t touch me. You’re much too fresh for my tastes.>”

“<Oh, right. But why would you eat garbage? That stuff’s smelly and is probably rotten.>”

“<It makes no difference to me. But think, what would happen if I didn’t eat this garbage? It would all pile up and turn even worse as it decays. As it is, I come by here and other houses in the area to eat their garbage, then leave them some things to help with their gardens. So it all works out well for everyone.>”

The flower bud titled himself, puzzled. “<What, you leave them garden tools or something? How do you manage that?>”

She grinned. “<It’s not quite what you’re thinking. That’s my secret anyhow. I just can’t get caught by the humans. Most of them get disgusted when they see me and try to drive me out. Not these people, though. They know what I do for them.>”

“<I never thought about what happens to garbage after it gets thrown away, so I guess they must not either.>”

“<So then, Cherrim, what are you doing out here this late? I thought most plants didn’t like to be out at night.>”

“<Like I said, I was just exploring. It was all rainy and gray today anyhow, so I haven’t done much. My girl’s inside talking with her grandparents and really not doing much interesting.>”

“<Ah, a curious one. Well, you’d best go on back inside. There’s some wild Pokemon around at this time that wouldn’t hesitate to snack on you.>”

He shivered. “<Ah, okay. Thanks Muk! Have a good night.>”

“<You too, little dear,>” she replied as he hopped back towards the house.

The next day was bright and sunny. It was Cherrim’s favorite kind of weather. As soon as his Trainer let him go, he flipped himself inside-out to blossom into a cheery pink flower. Since his petal feet were now spread out too far, he tilted his stem back in order to use those feet for support. He ran through the lush grass, cheering as loud and leaping as high as he could go.

When he came to a rocky area, he caught a whiff of an awful smell, like garbage. But this wasn’t anywhere near the fenced in garbage pile he’d seen last night. He hopped onto a rock and looked around. “<Hey, Muk! You here?>”

Part of the ground seemed to shift, and the oozy Pokemon appeared. “<Good morning. Who are you?>”

He laughed. “<It’s me, from last night! Cherrim!>”

She smiled. “<Ah, yes, so you would be. Good to see you again.>”

Cherrim twirled around. “<I heard, from Grandpa, that you do help out with their garbage and garden. And I was thinking, you know exactly what you’re here for, which is great. Sometimes I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. I look pretty on sunny days and smell nice, but you help keep things clean despite looking kinda dirty.>” He stopped spinning. “<Does that make you better than me?>”

“<It’s makes us different, but not necessarily better. You seem like you would be good at cheering people up. I saw you a little while ago jumping around the field and it was a thing to make most people smile.>”

He hopped in place. “<I do cheer people up! Especially on nice sunny days like today, where I feel so happy that it all seems infectious and everybody feels great.>”

“<That’s what you’re here for. Still, why would a flower like you come out to say hi to someone like me?>”

“<Just because.>”

“<You don’t mind the way I smell?>”

Cherrim laughed again. “<Not really! Gloom smells worse than you, actually, and I have to battle with him a lot! So I got used to not minding the smell a long time ago. I can be your friend for three weeks, if you like.>”

“<That would be nice.>”

And so they met daily for three weeks, just to talk and laugh.

Pokedex OS- Still trying to capture every single Pokemon out there in words: 648/718 Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh complete!

I did Kangaskan, but not Nidoqueen. I like that idea for Mother's Day. And for something with Lt. Surge for Memorial Day. I saw that suggestion and immediately got an image of Surge rambling off some old war story to Koga and Brock.

But me and Animorph must be on the same wavelength or something, because when I read that, I was in the middle of this entry with another Gym Leader. And now would be a good time for requests.

HITMONLEE
Fire Red entry: The legs freely contract and stretch. The stretchy legs allow it to hit a distant foe with a rising kick.

Dewford was a rock-filled island, stranded on its own just south of the Hoenn mainland. There were a great many gemstone caves and excellent fishing grounds all around. However, there was no farmable land and the village was built on a sand plain that was constantly under risk of flooding and tsunamis. The residents stuck it out, though, trading with Rustboro in order to survive.

The island itself was almost a living thing, changing and evolving over time. Due to Pokemon and unstable geography, the dark tunnels were constantly shifting, growing, and shrinking. A peak aboveground might not be in the same location six months later. Paths appeared and disappeared overnight. Therefore, most people stuck to the sandy town, where things stayed the same.

Most people. A gray-haired boy was climbing along a steep path to one of the higher entrances of the caves. Being only seven and still light-weight, he scrambled across loose rocks that would have made an adult stumble. He got past the path and paused in front of the dark opening. The salty sea breeze teased his hair, but the air inside seemed dank and still. By the entrance, there was an angel carved from stone.

“Then this would be the place,” he murmured. He stepped inside slowly to get his eyes accustomed to the darkness.

It didn’t get any easier to see, though. Cracks in the walls and ceiling let in small rays of sun, but that seemed to make the darkness darker. Along the path, he found signs that someone lived here: a box of hand tools, another of fishing gear, a stool. But the only sound he could hear was the whistle of the wind trying to penetrate into the caves.

He came upon a larger room. There was no source of light for this cavern. “Hello?” he called out.

From directly in front of him, he heard a sound like someone moving. He stepped forward, but something crashed into his leg. He tripped to the hard floor, barely catching himself from smashing his face. Thankfully, it seemed someone had smoothed the cave floor.

Click.

The boy was terrified for a moment that he had found robbers or some evil men. But the room was now lit and he saw no one close to him. Near a cheap-looking brown table lamp, there was a Pokemon. His head merged with his body to become one large slab of muscle covered in short brown fur. He had short arms with large fists. Most telling, he had strange gray legs, almost like coils of a tightly wound spring. His feet were larger that his fists, and clawed besides.

The Hitmonlee left the lamp and came to a brightly patterned rug in the middle of the room. He sat down there and watched the boy. Nearby, a small generator began to hum.

Getting back to his feet, the boy watched him back. “Hi, I’m Brawly. I heard some people saying that there was a martial arts master living up here. Is he home? I want to learn from him.” He noticed an open passage on the left side of the room and started in that direction.

In a blink, Hitmonlee kicked his right leg out at Brawly. Although he was a good six feet from the Pokemon, the boy felt the foot pass right over his head. The Pokemon then held his hand out to the left passage and shook his head. It was simply a warning: no one was allowed back there.

He backed away. “Oh, okay. Wait... are you the master?”

Hitmonlee looked at him critically, then shrugged.

As odd as it seemed, it must be this Pokemon. Brawly remembered the adults saying that the master was modest, but powerful. He bowed. “May I learn from you? I really want to be stronger. I don’t know if you usually take a human for an apprentice, but I’ll work hard.”

There was a minute of stillness. Wondering if this was some kind of test, the boy waited for an answer. Then Hitmonlee shook his head.

“What? Why not?” He caught his temper right then, realizing that the Pokemon wouldn’t be able to explain. “Can’t you at least give me a test or something to see if I’m worthy? I’ll do whatever you want; just show me how to be stronger.”

The Pokemon closed his eyes. Biting his lip, Brawly waited again. This time, the Pokemon got up. He waved the boy back out to the entrance of the cave, but made as if to follow him.

“All right.” He walked back outside.

Once in the sun, Hitmonlee went to a sturdy boulder, from which much of Dewford Island and a vast stretch of ocean could be seen. After looking around, he pointed out a large rock jutting out of the ocean some distance from the shore. He waved his hand towards Brawly, then back out to the rock.

“You want me to swim out to that rock?”

He nodded.

Brawly looked down at the area. “That’s quite a ways out. But I’ll try. You just watch.” He began back down the mountain trail.

-+-

Hitmonlee came out of the cave and sat on his outlook boulder. Everything seemed okay. And... there. That boy was at it again. Standing alone on the beach after the fishing ships had left, Brawly was contemplating that rock out in the ocean.

It had been two weeks now since that boy had first climbed up to Hitmonlee’s cave. The Pokemon had done his best to discourage him from sticking around or coming back. After a flat out refusal had failed, he had sent Brawly on a difficult task. The local teenagers liked to play Chicken with that rock, daring each other to swim out to it and back. But it really was too far out for most people to manage.

Originally, his idea was that the boy would get caught, scolded, and persuaded to give up. That’s what happened to most of the kids who dared to reach that rock. But not Brawly. He would wait until all the adults were busy, then go out alone to the closest point to the rock and try to swim for it. Once he was in the water, something seemed to change. He was timid with this, going out partway only to change his mind and return. The furthest he’d gone was a quarter of the way.

But then the next day, he’d be back to try again.

Hitmonlee wondered what was so important to this kid that he’d keep trying the test, even if he was stopping himself far before he got into trouble. He said he wanted to be stronger, but for what? By his observations from up here, the seven-year-old had nothing much against him. He had friends and family, had no special problem with bullies, and seemed quite ordinary. If it was simply a child’s dream, it was stronger than most.

After spending longer than usual watching the water, Brawly went in and began swimming. Hitmonlee watched. Prudently, the child kept to a steady pace. He could swim much faster (Hitmonlee had seen him do so), but held back to conserve his energy. He didn’t hesitate today. He got a quarter of the way to the rock and kept going.

Interested, Hitmonlee went into the cave for a minute to retrieve a pair of binoculars. His vision was good, but not good enough to watch him all the way out to the rock. He continued watching as time went slowly by. Brawly faltered a bit halfway there, but then decided that he had to finish. The boy continued swimming and, after forty minutes in the water, he made it.

He’d done it. Hitmonlee growled though, angry at himself. He had sent the boy out there to get rid of him, but now Brawly was in trouble. There wasn’t a good spot to rest near that rock and the boy showed signs of exhaustion. He wouldn’t be able to make it back. Since he was to blame for that, the Pokemon put down the binoculars and ran down the mountain.

With his long stretchy stride, he was there soon. He didn’t pause, but went straight into the water and swam out towards the rock. He was able to swim much faster than the boy, having both better strength and stamina. When he got within twenty yards of the rock, he found Brawly. The boy was panicking, being pursued by a Sharpedo.

Hitmonlee put forth an extra burst of speed, then spun around and kicked the large gray fish with both legs. His limbs moved slower in the water, but they still connected with enough force to knock the Sharpedo back several feet. The aquatic Pokemon growled, but swam off.

He then swam over and caught the boy by his waist. Bringing him above water, he looked into Brawly’s eyes. They looked dazed.

“Huh? Hitmonlee? Thanks, but I can make it back on my own.” He looked around, a flash of dizziness and fear clearly indicated that he’d become disoriented. “I... I can.”

Ignoring that, Hitmonlee held onto him securely and brought him back to shore.

-+-

Brawly found his legs almost too weak to walk on, but Hitmonlee continued to hold onto him as they approached his house. His stomach squirmed, not just from the sea water he had accidentally swallowed, but also from what he knew was coming. He tried to open the front door quietly, but it always creaked.

“Brawly, are you back?” His mother came into the living room and saw how wet and tired he was. “What happened to you? Were you out swimming again?”

“Mom, I...”

She came over and hugged him. “What were you thinking? That’s the third time you’ve nearly drowned this month! I thought that you’d have learned to be more careful by now. What if a Tentacruel had gotten to you again?”

That was, unfortunately, true. The first time, he had been on his father’s fishing boat and had fallen off. That was a complete accident, as he’d hit his head on the boat’s side before getting submerged. The second time was also on the fishing boat. His father had asked him to jump out and retrieve a troublesome trap. Unnoticed by either of them, a Tentacruel had been caught in it. Lashing out because of its injury, it had paralyzed him. And when his father had come in after him, the Tentacruel struck him too. He had still managed to drag both of them back onto the boat, though.

If he’d been stronger, he would have been able to avoid getting hurt both times. Like his father, he would have been able to swim despite the Tentacruel’s poison. But it wasn’t so. Even if he had made it out to the rock, he still had to be rescued yet again.

With his mother still fussing over him, he looked aside to... but he was gone. “Hitmonlee?”

“What is it?”

He looked at his mother. “What happened... to that Pokemon?”

She glanced around, but there was only a footprint of damp sand on the floor. “He’s gone, I think. Thank Kyogre that he helped you. But what were you doing to get in trouble this time?”

She wouldn’t like the truth. “I’m really tired,” he said, trembling. He was trying not to cry.

-+-

The crunch of loose rocks broke through Hitmonlee’s meditation. Looking down the path, he saw Brawly coming back up to him. He waited patiently.

The boy bowed to him again, then stood with his hands rubbing together nervously. “Hitmonlee... thank you for coming after me the other day. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it all by myself. But can’t you reconsider?”

Not having to stall this time, he picked up a pebble and threw it into the cave entrance. It hit a metal pan, making a ‘chink!’ sound.

“What is it?” a man’s voice called out. He emerged from the cave, brushing his unruly red hair out of his eyes. He was muscular, but not overmuch, as his fighting style relied on being quick on his feet. Looking down at the boy, he smiled. “A visitor, huh? What brings you up here?

Brawly looked surprised. “Oh, are you his Trainer? So then, you’re the fighting master?”

“Hmm.” He rubbed his nose. “I suppose people are calling me that. Yes, Logan here is one of mine. They call me Tide.”

“I’m Brawly; I live down there. I want to learn how to fight, so I came up here looking for you. But then I thought everyone meant Hitmonlee... Logan here, so I tried to convince him to teach me. He told me to go swim out to that rock out there,” he pointed to it, “but when I finally made it out there, I couldn’t get back. He rescued me from a Sharpedo, so I came back to thank him.”

“Is that so?”

Logan bowed his head low, regretfully.

“I see.” Tide patted Brawly on the head. “He’s sorry he made you do that. But I left a month ago on an important trip. I had Logan stay behind to guard an important item, so he was likely trying to discourage you from hanging around here.”

“That was why?” The boy’s ears turned pink. “I guess it’s all right then. He did come help me.”

“Then why are you looking to learn about fighting?”

“I want to be stronger, so people don’t have to worry about me. Dad isn’t letting me back on his boat right now, because I fell off one time and hit my head. And then another time, both of us nearly died when I got attacked by a Tentacruel. So I need to be stronger.”

Tide looked over him for a moment, then knelt down to look at the boy eye to eye. “You aren’t going to be strong enough to defeat the sea, no matter what you do. The sea is all powerful, in beauty and ferocity. However, it is impressive that a kid like you can swim out that far.”

“I’m not doing that again.”

“No, not until you are stronger.” He looked up at Logan. “What do you think?”

The Hitmonlee nodded. If he was determined enough to get past his fear of the water, then he deserved a chance.

“All right then. We’ll start training you to be stronger. On land, of course.”

Brawly smiled. “Thanks!”

Pokedex OS- Still trying to capture every single Pokemon out there in words: 648/718 Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh complete!

Wow, is it just me, or is it like all the reviewers on the Fanfiction forum have vanished this week?

Anyway, though I have missed a number of these one-shots, the situations and relationships in the ones that I have seen were both creative and well-portrayed. It would take too long to go over my opinions of all of these scenes that I have read, so I'll just go over some of the recent ones.

The Aggron and Lairon piece was great in that it portrayed the full extent of the changes of Pokemon evolution very well, especially in that the Aggron knew that trying to explain her frame of mind to the Lairon would be as impossible as trying to explain it to the volcano. Speaking of which, I really like the Aggron's explanation of the volcano and why it erupts as it does; seeing as how you've read my work, you already know my view on how Pokemon think, and I like how this piece fits that view as well. A human would seek a rational explanation for the eruptions, a possibly a pattern that would indicate when it would happen again; Pokemon, on the other hand, simply see the volcano as a part of nature just like themselves, something that has no explanation and just happens.

Sorry about the rambling. Moving on...

The Treecko piece was great. I especially like how 'Klutz King' ended up getting his in the end for his assholish behavior, essentially getting a rather nasty mark on his rep and pretty much screwing over his career as a trainer. That said, the Treecko's struggle was also well portrayed; I would have liked to have seen a little more about her efforts aside from stopping the littering, such as trying to find ways to improve the soil quality, bring water to the plants, find better quality grasses, flowers, etc. to plant there. However, since the focus of the story was on the behaviors that brought the authorities in to stop her, I suppose you do have reason to skip all that. The unknown-but-probably-happy ending was also a nice touch.

I'll go ahead and move on to the Muk and Cherrim piece. As the others have said, seeing Muk in a good-guy(or gal in this case) role is a fairly rare occurrence, and it was really neat to see the plant-type actually doubt his own importance in the grand scheme of things compared to the poison-type. One thing I would personally change would be that, in the end, you would end with the Muk's reply to Cherrim's offer, rather than add a extra sentence at the end that pretty much reiterated what was already established was going to happen. Anyway, a great scene with a lot of nice moments.

And finally, the Hitmonlee piece. I would have preferred a story with a little more emphasis on Hitmonlee, rather than Brawly's struggle, but that's probably because Hitmonlee is one of my favorite Pokemon, and reading Griff's fic kinda set me against Brawly. Anyway, with that out of the way, this was quite good. The motivations behind both Hitmonlee and Brawly were believable in my opinion, and I liked that for awhile it seemed as though Logan was the fighting master. There was also the nicely done gradual progress of Brawly, the fear of water he had apparently developed during the Tentacruel attack preventing him from going as far as he actually could have for a good while at first. Finally I like the little parts with Hitmonlee: his six-foot-reach kick, his super fast running and swimming as a result of his long stride, and getting rid of that Sharpedo with one good shot.

Anyway, I really like what you're doing here. As long as you keep it up, I'll be here to read and (probably) review it.

Anyway, one of the things I saw that might hinder this thread is a lack of an index, which makes this thread rather difficult to navigate. I hope you don't mind if I took the liberty of fixing that.

Each Pokemon with an entry in this thread has its own separate listing here, arranged by Pokedex number; each story with more than one Pokemon is listed as many times as the number of Pokemon listed in it. There are some instances where I only listed one entry for multiple Pokemon, such as when the Pokemon have numbers directly next to each other and they are related in some way(obviously, most often by evolution, but I also kept the Articuno-Zapdos-Moltres and Smoochum-Elekid-Magby entries as one for this reason as well). Any stories written by the other participants in this thread are labeled as such.

Also, I chose not to list any Pokemon more than once, so darkdragontamer's Kadabra/Absol/Lucario story is not listed under Lucario, and your Taillow/Swellow story is only listed as Taillow.

Anyway, feel free to use this index as you will, and I hope you're alright with me doing it.

Hey there! Just found your thread yesterday, just finished reading through it. Would like to be put on the PM list, if you have room on it that is.

I have to say, interesting concept, creative execution, a few errors here and there, but you have great characterization and plotting skills. My favorites would have to be the Kangaskan, Legendary Birds, and Magikarp ones.

Know I should probably become more established as a fan before asking, but you seem to be low on requests to I thought I'd give you some.

Tentacool/Feebas
Fearow
Mareep
Haunter
Steelix

Again, good work!

I still love you, I will till I die
And love is much stronger then anger or pride
Please baby, let's unburn all our bridges